YAQUIS FALL TO CAGUAS, SLIP TO CS LEAD TIE

The Obregon Yaquis fell just short of becoming the first Mexican team in six years to win the Caribbean Series by losing, 7-6, to host Caguas Sunday night in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

The Yaquis took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second when Criollos starter Joey Newby walked the first three batters he faced and two Obregon runners came in to score after Caguas shortstop Luis Figueroa threw away a Carlos Valencia grounder. The Puerto Ricans struck back with three more runs in the bottom of the second, featuring a two-run double from Figueroa to go up, 4-2.

The two teams traded goose eggs for two innings before the Mexicans struck for two runs in the fifth to tie the game at 4-4 with singles from Karim Garcia (pictured) and Barbaro Canizares, but Caguas matched that in the bottom of the inning to go back up by two. Garcia closed the gap to 6-5 with a solo homer in the seventh, but the Criollos added an insurance run in the eighth and a Gabriel Gutierrez RBI single in the ninth ended up being too little, too late for Obregon as Caguas stayed alive by matching Obregon's CS record at 3-and-2.

The Yaquis will wrap up their CS schedule Monday at 3PM ET against the 2-and-3 Anzoategui Caribes. The Venezuelan titlists shut out the 2-and-3 Este Toros, 3-0, on Sunday as Manny Avila and three relievers combined on the whitewash. A Yaquis win and a Caguas loss to Este would bring the CS title trophy to Mexico for the first time since Mazatlan won at home in 2005.